Moving Towards a More Just Food System: our trip to Detroit

MHC's Stephanie Solomon and Hannah Lenchek show off their stripes at the Detroit Food Summit

The Hub has been working with Why.Hunger to build a network of organizations across the Midwest who are moving towards a food justice model in their work. We had our first gathering in Chicago, in September of 2016. We met again in mid March, this time in Detroit. The network is made up of emergency food providers (food pantries), food resource centers, food policy councils and those working with urban farming and community gardens. The gatherings are a chance to share concerns, resources and ideas around food justice, with a focus on the challenges and opportunities specific to the Midwest region.

We connected as a coalition to explore the dominant narratives around food pantries and emergency food provision, and to begin to draft a new narrative based in principles of social justice. We explored topics such as the difference between equity and equality, what it might look like to move away from a charitable model, and how to envision and support just, sustainable food systems in our communities.

Mark Covington founder of the Georgia Street Community Collective
(photo from the GSCC website)

Georgia Street Community Collective

Our Detroit food tour took us to the Georgia Street Community Collective. Mark Covington shared the story of returning to his neighborhood after some time away, to find abandoned lots filled with garbage, and neighbors filled with despair. He started by rounding up folks in the neighborhood to clean up some of the lots. Then some folks expressed interest in growing fresh food, something they had little access to in their part of town. Mark and a group of kids and teens in the surrounding houses started gardening in one of the lots. As their website notes, “..Mark began to think in bigger terms...terms like revitalization of the neighborhood, helping the youth of the neighborhood, bringing business to the area, and more…” Now the Georgia Street Community Collective is home to several thriving community gardens, an orchard, beehives, a happy flock of chickens and even a few rambunctious goats. The community center hosts a computer lab, winter jacket give-aways, a program for school supplies and more. The collective organizes Easter egg hunts, harvest festivals and other community gatherings. It’s so inspiring to see such a comprehensive approach, built from the ground up, by the community, for the community!

Mark Wimberly of the Friends Potato Chip Co.

We visited the Friends Potato Chip Co., and heard the story of Mark Wimberly’s vision for his neighborhood. He started by telling us, “We wanted to renew our relationship with the earth, renew our relationship with the community, and renew our relationship with the economy.” So they cleaned up a neighborhood lot and started growing food. Potatoes did well, thus, a potato chip company! Of course, it wasn’t so straightforward. “We Persevered” Mike confessed, “but not without a lot of gnashing of teeth!” After multiple attempts, their line of delicious, natural chips ended up on Oprah’s Favorite Things list for 2016. Now this innovative social enterprise works hard to keep up with demand. Check out their website to learn more about all the wonderful things going on in their community.

Some of the fresh winter offerings at The Farmer's Hand

The Farmer’s Hand greeted us with delicious samples of locally grown and prepared foods, including a dark chocolate, to-die-for toffee. The Farmer’s Hand is a woman-owned artisanal market, café and kitchen specializing in all-local, Michigan-made food, drinks and gifts. We toured their gorgeous shop, and the site of the future restaurant and heard the founding story from Kiki Louya.

Much of the rest of our visit involved participation in the Detroit Food Summit. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Detroit seems to be leading the way in the Midwest towards more sustainable food systems. It is encouraging to see community members taking the lead in making changes that impact their own neighborhoods.

We learned about efforts to change the culture of school food, from Monica DeGarmo from the Office of School Nutrition (OSN). Under the leadership of Betti Wiggins, the OSN has transformed the nutritional standards in Detroit Public schools, doing away with what she calls “carnival food” (hot dogs, corn dogs, fried food) and has increased the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables, including locally sourced produce, and food from their Garden to Cafeteria Program! Bloomington Indiana has a lot to learn from Detroit, when it comes to food in our public schools!

Ben Hall of Russell Street Deli

One of the break-out sessions, Food not Fear, addressed threats to undocumented workers in the food industry. The panel included Ben Hall from Russell Street Deli, a Sanctuary Restaurant in Detroit’s Eastern Market, and other community activists working to protect vulnerable communities from recent immigration crackdowns.

Shane Bernardo sharing a useful organizing tool called Power Mapping

Shane Bernardo walked us through an introduction to Power Mapping, a useful tool for those working in advocacy and social justice. Shane is part of our Midwest Regional network, and we hope to have him visit The Hub for a more complete training in the near future.

The Hub’s own Stephanie Solomon Joined Suzanne Babb of Why.Hunger, Kathy Kelly-Long of the Broad Street Food Pantry, and Emma Garcia of Access of West Michigan in a panel discussion called Moving from Food Charity to Food Justice in the Midwest.

Stephanie Solomon, Emma Garcia, Kathy Kelly-Long and Suzanne Babb, in their
panel discussion Moving from Food Charity to Food Justice in the Midwest.

"We put love and energy into every pot and create something magnificent."Bianca Danzy

The women of A Taste of African Heritage put together a delicious lunch on the final day of the summit. Chef Bee (Sisters on a Roll) and Bianca Danzy (Real Food by Bianca) served up some beautifully seasoned collards, one of the many dishes they learned to prepare together in the cooking course focussed on healthy eating through connection to the African diaspora.

Shared dinners and a closing session with the regional network allowed for formal and informal relationship building with folks across the midwest looking to make positive change in our region’s food provision systems. By the end of this exciting and jam-packed week, we left feeling like we had only scratched the surface of the topics we approached, and looked forward to expanding the conversation and deepening the relationships.